Valve



P. SPENCE May 14, 1935.

VALVE Filed June 18, 1931 INVENTOR .52761166 Q' UU w Qi? Ww N w Pda/ M M n/'l V llllllllmlll IIIIIIIIIIHHH ATTORNEY tainer.

Patented `May 14, 1935 UNITED sTATEs- PATENT- OFFICE Paulsen Spence, East Orange,`N. J.

Application June 18, 1931, Serial No. 545,225

5 Claims.

My invention relates to a valve and more especially to an automatic valve which is operated by a diaphragm which is exposed to the pressure of an expansible uid contained in a closed con- This application is a continuation in part of my co-pending application Serial No. 366,838, filed May 29, 1929.

In valve construction, it is sometimes desirable that a valve or valve stem should be moved by means of two or more springs which act in parallel on a spring yoke attached to the valve stem.

'I'he common practice has been to attach the spring yoke rigidly to the valve stem. When this is done, inequality in the tension of the springs or any sticking of one of the springs will tend to tilt the yoke and valve stem, thereby causing the valve stem to bind in the stufng-box or other guide means. Any lack of alignment of the various guide means for the valve stem will also cause binding of the valve stem. When the valve is an automatic valve operated by a sensitive diaphragm, any binding of the valve stem will render the valve inoperative. It is also common practice to have the diaphragm coact with a disk which is rigidly connected to the valve stem or yoke. When this is done, any tilting of the valve stem or yoke will tilt the disk, and when the disk is tilted, it may injure the diaphragm.

When the valve is operated by a diaphragm which is exposed to the pressure of an expansible fluid contained in a closed container, the diaphragm is usually made separate from the remainder of the container and is subsequently attached thereto by means which will permit of the removal and replacement of the diaphragm when necessary. Since the expansion of the iluid contained in the closed container is relied uponx to operate the valve, it is important that there shall be no leakage between the diaphragm and the remainder of the container, and special obturation means must be employed.

It is an object of my invention to provide a valve in which binding of the valve stem due to lack of alignment of the guide means for the valve stem is eliminated by making the valve stem coacts with the diaphragm is eliminated by making the disk as a separate member and by providing means for holding the disk and yoke substantially in alignment while yet allowing for some play between them. l

It is a further object of my invention to provide a valve which is operated by a. removable and substantially flat diaphragm which is exposed to the pressure of an expansible fluid contained in a closed container, and in which there is complete obturation between the diaphragm and the remainder of the container.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent as the specification proceeds.

In the drawing which shows, for illustrative purposes only, preferred forms of the invention- Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a valve illustrating `eatures of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modication.

In said illustrative drawing, I represents a valve body having chambers 2 and 3 therein. 4 represents a valve head for controlling the passage of fluid between the chambers 2 and 3. 5 is a hood secured to the body I. This hood has a bore therethrough and a stuiiing-box 6 at one end of the bore. I is a packing which is compressed in the stuing-box by means of the gland 8 and gland nut 9. A diaphragm casing is provided,

vhaving an upper part III and a lower part IDB.

'I'he casing is secured to the hood 5 by means of the bolts II'-I I. I2-I2 are spiral springs surrounding the bolts II-II and carried by the A followers I3-I3 which are carried by the adjusting nuts I4-I4 which are threaded on the bolts II-II. I5 is a yoke which is carried by the springs I2-I2. I6 is a disk which is carried by the yoke I5 and which coacts with a removable and substantially flat diaphragm I'I. The diaphragm Il is gripped adjacent to its perimeter between opposed annular bearing surfaces on the parts I0 and Ina, and these parts are urged toward each other by removable means, such as the circularly arranged bolts I'I. The diaphragm I1 and the part I0 together form a diaphragm chamber I'lb.

The valve stem may be made in two or more parts. In the drawing, I show a valve stem I8 secured to the head 4 and extending into the bore of the hood 5, and a second valve stem I9 connected to the yoke I5 and extending through the stufng-box 6 and into the bore of the hood and coacting with the end of the valve stem I8. By making the valve stem in two parts, I eliminate any binding of the valve stem which would otherwise be caused if the bore of the gland 8 were not accurately aligned with the bore in the hood 5.

`When the valve stem is made in two parts, the

stuiiing-box friction is overcome vby the springs I2-I2 and the valve head 4 is raised by the pressure of the fluid in the chamber 2.

I alsoprovide means for holding the disk I6 andthe yoke I5 substantially in alignment while yet allowingfor some play between them. In the form shown in the drawing I provide an aligning pin 20 which ts loosely into bores in the upper surface of theyoke and in the lower surface of the disk. By this construction I eliminate danger of damage to the diaphragm I1 by the tilting of the disk I 6 which might occur if the disk and yoke were rigidly connected together and the yoke should be tilted by some inequality in the tension of the springs I2-I2.

In the modification shown in Fig. 2 I show a non-rigid coupling between the yoke I5 and the valve stem I9. In the particular form shown, a coupling member 2I is secured to the upper end of the valve stem I9. The upper end of the coupling member 2| is iianged, and the anged portion is loosely held in a flanged recess in the bottom of the yoke I5. The coupling member 2I could, of course, be made integral with the valve stem I9. By means of this coupling I eliminate the danger ofbinding of the valve stem due to inequality in the tension of the springs I2-I2.

The valves shown can be used as thermostatic valves as shown in Fig. 2. 22 is a thermostat bulb, and 23 is a pipe connecting the interiors oi."k the bulb 23 and of the diaphragm chamber I1b. The bulb 22, the pipe 23, and the chamber IIb together form a closed container in which is placed a quantity of a uid which expands as its temperature is increased.

In Fig. 2 I show means for obtaining complete obturation between the diaphragm I1 and theA upper part I0 of the diaphragm casing. On the lower part IIIa of the diaphragm casing there is formed an annular upwardly projecting iiange 24.

This ange is narrow and kits top surface is rounded on a radius of the order of one-sixteenth of an inch. 25 is an annular gasket which is preferably made of lead or other soft metal. When the bolts II are tightened, the-iiange 24 will compress the diaphragm I1 against the gasket 25 so as to effect complete obturation.

By means of the adjusting nuts I4-I4, the tension of the springs I2--I2 can be adjusted so that the valve will close when the uid in the diaphragm chamber I 'Ib reaches a predetermined pressure, or when the temperature to which the thermostat bulb 22 is exposed reaches a predetermined limit.

While the invention has been described in considerable detail and illustrative forms have been shown, I do not wish to be strictly limited to the forms herein shown, since changes may be made within the scope of the invention as dened in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A diaphragm-operated valve comprising a body having two chambers therein, a valve head,

a: hood secured to said body, said hood having a Abore therethrough, a valve stem guided within said bore, a plurality of springs supported by said hood, a yoke supported by said springs, diaphragm means for moving said-yoke, and means for loosely coupling said yoke and said stem, said yoke and said springs'being located intermediate said hood and said diaphragm, said springs, yoke and diaphragm means being bodily Icarried by said hood and removable as a unit therewith.

2. A diaphragm-operated valve comprising a body having two chambers therein, a valve head. an opening in said body to permit removal of said valve head, a hood secured to said body and closing said opening, said hood having a bore therethrough, a valve stem guided within said bore, a plurality of springsv supported by said hood, a yoke supported by said springs, and diaphragm means for moving said yoke, said valve stem being loosely connected to said yoke, said springs, yoke and diaphragm means being bodily carried by said hood and removable as' a unit therewith.

3. A diaphragm-operated valve comprising a body having two chambers therein, a valve head, a hood secured to said body, a diaphragm casing supported by said hood, a diaphragm within said casing, a disk coacting with said diaphragm, .a yoke coacting with said disk, a plurality of springs interposed between said yoke and said hood and mounted eccentrically of said diaphragm, means for holding said disk and said yoke substantially in' alignment while yet allowing for some play between them, and means for transmitting the motion of said yoke to said valve head, said diaphragm casing, disk, yoke and springs being bodily carried by and removable as a unit with' said hood.

4. A diaphragm-operated valve comprising a body having two chambers therein, a valve head, a hood secured to said body, a plurality of springs carried by said hood, a yoke carried by said springs, a disk carried by said yoke, a diaphragm casing carried by said hood, a diaphragm within said casing and coacting with said disk, an aligning pin fitting loosely into bores in said yoke and said disk, and means for transmitting the motion of said yoke to said valve head.

5. A diaphragm-operated valve comprising a valve body, a hood removably carried thereby and having a through passage therein, a valve head for said valve body and having a stem guided in said through passage, a.v plurality of guide rods carried by said hood, a diaphragm casing flxedly carried by said guide rods, springs carried by said guide rods and interposed between said hood and said diaphragm casing, a diaphragm in said casing, a second valve stem to coact with said first mentioned valve stem and guided in said passage and coacting with said diaphragm, whereby movement of said diaphragm may move said valve head, and means for causing said springs to urge'said diaphragm in one direction.

PAULSEN SPENCE. 

